To Try Men's Souls - George Washington 1 by William R. Forstchen, Newt Gingrich, Albert S. Hanser Read Free Book Online Page B

have an outside guard posted at all four corners?” Rall snapped.
    “Not exactly, sir.”
    “Did you, or did you not, sergeant?”
    “No, sir.”
    “Why not?”
    “Sir, Private Withers shot a deer this morning and we roasted it.” He pointed woodenly toward the table where half-carved haunches of venison rested.
    “I was changing the guard, sir, allowing the men coming in to dry off. Those about to go out took but a few minutes more to eat before going out into the storm.” His voice trailed away.
    “And the damn rebels were out there, watching, waiting for just such a mistake, were they not, sergeant?”
    The sergeant could not reply.
    “You are reduced in rank to private.” He gestured toward the man’s uniform facings as if to tear them off.
    He paused for a second, to look around the room.
    “Corporal Steiner, you are now sergeant of this detachment. Yourmen are relieved of this position for the night. Escort your wounded back to the surgeon. I will pass the word for him to be ready to receive you.”
    “Yes, colonel.”
    “Both of you will appear before me after morning roll to explain your actions here.”
    Standing at rigid attention, they said nothing.
    “Dismissed.”
    Rall turned and strode out of the kitchen and onto the porch.
    Captain Metzger was waiting for orders.
    “Your men are to take over the watch here. There is to be no repeat of this folly. I want guards posted at all four corners of the house throughout the night. Detail off a dozen men to help carry the wounded to town. Captain Yoder’s company will replace your command as the guard company in town until relieved at midnight.”
    Metzger saluted and turned back to his men, shouting more orders.
    “Münchasen, ride back to town. Order the men to stand down and to get out of this foul weather, but rest under arms to continue throughout the night. Inform the surgeon to prepare to receive casualties.”
    Münchasen did as ordered and galloped into the dark.
    Still seething, Rall remounted, passed through the gate, and rode alone the few hundred yards to the center of town.
    “Damn cowardly scum,” he muttered. Raiders, the same ones most likely who had been harassing his command since they were posted to this pathetic village. Meanwhile Cornwallis kept headquarters thirty miles away in Amboy, and two full British regiments rested comfortably in the spacious village of Princeton, twelve miles away. They put us out here, to be harassed day and night, sometimes by a single shot from the woods, and on a night such as this, even bolder, actually catching the unfortunate fools within this house by surprise. To move a single message back to Cornwallis now required a full guard of dragoons and mounted jaegers.
    Damn this country!
    As he reached the center of town he saw the last of his men filing into their barracks. It had been this way nearly every night for the last two weeks, his men staggering with exhaustion as two and sometimes three alarms a night rousted them out of their warm quarters, and on this night into a howling gale.
    He was aware now of his own folly in rushing out without a cape or overcoat. His heavy woolen uniform was already soaked at the shoulders. In his back and legs the chill was setting in.
    If there was any comfort, it was knowing that he would be back in a warm house in a few minutes, whereas the damn rebels, if still out and about, were wet and freezing. He hoped that hell rather than being a place of fire, was instead of ice and eternal cold.
    Now his men were soaked as well . . . and he sensed it was going to be a very long night.

 
     

CHAPTER THREE

     
     
    McConkey’s Ferry
6:00 P.M. December 25, 1776
     
    General Washington followed Knox at a discreet distance, letting him run the operation. Delegating responsibilities was something he found difficult to do. He knew it was a common complaint by men under his command that he tried to do everything himself, and on this night they were right. He would